Vorderman Volkswagen

Volkswagen may be spending billions of dollars on its dieselgate scandal, but that doesn’t mean that the world’s biggest automaker isn’t prepared to spend billions more on engine development. The German auto giant is preparing to spend about $11 billion on combustion engines and nearly $10 billion on electric propulsion over the next five years. “Even though modern combustion engines will be relevant for at least another 20 years, it is clear that the future will be ruled by electric drives,” said CEO Matthias Müller at an industry conference in Austria. “What’s at stake is to develop a future-proof drives portfolio as a basis for transforming the core autos business.” The newly announced investment means that Volkswagen will be tripling its electrification budget, as compared to the last three years. Meanwhile, it hopes to improve fuel economy by 10%-15% in its combustion engines. A feat it says will be necessary as stricter emissions standards arrive in China, Europe, and the US....

[ See image gallery at www.vwvortex.com ] The Audi RS3 LMS will be racing in America for the first time ever this weekend at the Virginia International Raceway. The Pirelli World Challenge race will be the race-prepped RS3’s first chance to show off its mettle against other cars in the Touring Car (TC) class, but it won’t be its first time around an American track. Getting a car ready to race, after all, means hours of testing for the teams that are looking to get onto the top spot of the podium. We caught up with C360R ’s team principal, Karl Thomson, to ask him what it takes to race a turnkey race car from Audi. “It’s a big change for this kind of racing,” says Thomson on a cold morning in C360R’s Toronto garage. With more and more customer race cars coming onto the market, it means that there’s a big shift in where time and money are being spent. And more factory support is great, but it means that everyone is starting off from the same point. “It’s not easier,” says Thomson. “I...

Filed under: Government/Legal , Green , Plants/Manufacturing , Volkswagen , Electric , Future , Hybrid The money will go to clean up existing gas engines and invest in future electric ones. Continue reading VW to spend billions through 2022 to beef up engines portfolio VW to spend billions through 2022 to beef up engines portfolio originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 28 Apr 2017 14:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments from Autoblog Volkswagen http://ift.tt/2pq2dHl

The second Forza Horizon 3 expansion will arrive May 9 with a pretty special feature. Called Forza Horizon 3 Hot Wheels, the expansion will be available on Xbox One and Windows 10 PCs and is included in the Forza Horizon 3 Season Pass. The expansion will let players travel to a brand-new location in Australia, where iconic orange Hot Wheels tracks reside featuring insane high-speed stunts on miles of looping and banking. There’s also famous Hot Wheels vehicles like the Twin Mill, the Rip Rod and the Bone Shaker being added. A total of six new themed islands will be added and they’re all connected by a network of Hot Wheels tracks. To make stunt driving possible, Forza Horizon 3 is also adding brand new Hot Wheels skills that make use of boost pads, high-bank turns, half-pipes, insane jumps and even giant mechanical dinosaurs. Other cars being added as part of the expansion include: 1969 Hot Wheels Twin Mill, 2011 Hot Wheels Bone Shaker, 2012 Hot Wheels Rip Rode, 2005 Hot Whee...

The world is full of educational songs. From the alphabet song to School House Rock, few things stick in your mind like a tune. Now, though, music is finally being used to teach something important: how to drive a stick. The guys from RiffShop are doing their part to #savethemanuals by using their chosen genre, death metal, to help you through the challenging process of learning to drive a manual. Everything from starting the car, to pulling away from a stop, to dealing with the embarrassment of inevitably stalling the car on your first attempt is covered here. While I personally am a bigger fan of using Gilbert and Sullivan’s light operettas as the basis for educational easy listening, à-la Animaniacs , RiffShop is undeniably having a blast here and it’s infectious. Even if you know how to drive a manual, give the song a listen. It’s well worth your time and will have you headbanging and bang shifting in no time. The post Watch: Learn to Drive a Stick with Death Metal appeared ...

For 16 years now, Kevin and Willie from Two Guys Garage have been tackling project cars, but this Sunday they’ll be doing something a little different. This week they’ll be taking on a 2013 GTI Autobahn edition. Normally the Velocity Channel show covers muscle cars and other American cars, but on Sunday at 10:00 AM Kevin and Willie will be looking to double the power output of their GTI through the cunning use of air. Along the way they’ll add a new turbo kit, intake manifold, exhaust, and some other goodies to get the car up and over 400 hp. HPA Motorsports will also be featured on the show, so if you’re looking for performance packages, mention Two Guys Garage and you’ll receive special pricing. You can watch the guys discuss the project that they’re calling… *sigh* “Pretty Fly for a GTI,” above. The post Two Guys Garage Takes on the GTI appeared first on VWVortex . from VWVortex http://ift.tt/2pG25q3 via IFTTT

People often say that you should shoot for the moon, because even if you miss you’ll land among the stars. Never has that been truer than in Audi’s case. That’s because Audi’s moon rover is set to be a star in the latest installment of Ridley Scott’s Alien series, “Alien: Covenant.” “The ‘Alien’ franchise is the best way for us to garner suitable attention for the moon rover developed by Audi, and to showcase Audi’s intelligent technologies in a visionary environment,” said Giovanni Perosino, VP of International Marketing Communication at Audi. To give everyone an idea of just what the quattrover will look like onscreen, Twentieth Century Fox created a short film featuring the rover patrolling the Terraforming Bay of the colonization vessel: Covenant. Watch it below. The rover won’t just be a prop in the background, either. It plays an important part in the movie, helping its protagonist assess the challenging landscape on a planet on the far side of the galaxy. And that’s not a ...

Filed under: Audi , Volkswagen , Motorcycle With Piech gone, the sale will be easier. Continue reading Volkswagen reportedly considering selling Ducati Volkswagen reportedly considering selling Ducati originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 27 Apr 2017 13:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments from Autoblog Volkswagen http://ift.tt/2pDpV5K

Volkswagen’s littlest SUV is on its way and the automaker is teasing it ahead of its official reveal, which is expected in September at the Frankfurt Auto Show. We first saw the T-Roc in 2014, at the Geneva Motor show as a concept, and we now know that it will be keeping its name when it hits the showroom floor. Based on the MQB platform, the T-Roc will be about the size of a Golf, but higher off the ground, much like Audi’s Q2. A range of engines will be available in Europe. Everything from a 1.0-liter, 3-cylinder, 115 hp engine to the much loved 2.0-liter power plant. Europeans will also have the option of a six-speed manual transmission or a seven-speed DSG unit. This is the latest in Volkswagen’s SUV push, and the automaker is eager to make the T-Roc appealing to enthusiasts. As a result, it may eventually come with similar power to a Golf R. A T-Roc GTI, though, has been ruled out. Past reports have suggested that this little SUV is bound for the US, where it would com...

Spring is super busy for most folks. You probably already have a to-do list that’s ready to burst like a vigorously shaken soft drink. Getting your trusty ride looking lustrous and gleaming but without spending lot of time or cash is probably an item on that long to-do list. Winter is finally over, and now is your car’s time to shine. Below is a list of simple tips and hacks to help you get your ride ready for spring, as quickly, effectively and inexpensively as possible. 1. Use Dish Soap (But Not on Your Paint) A quality dish soap , diluted heavily in water, is the best interior, plastic, and glass cleaner you’ll ever use. A bottle of name-brand dish soap costs $4, amounts to a lifetime supply, and cleans just about everything inside of your ride. Dilute three or four drops of a quality dish soap into a small pail or bowl of warm water, and keep the suds to a minimum. Then dunk your rag , wring it out and get wiping. Just remember — don’t use dish soap on your exterior pain...

Rallycross is a dirty sport. Literally. Mud, rain, stones, and even tire gunk pelting the front of a car mean that the accepted wisdom in the sport is that cooling systems must be mounted in the back. Unless you’re VW. It’s an all new ep. of #RXtech and Fabrice from @VolkswagenRally gives us the inside info on their infamous front-mounted radiator system! http://pic.twitter.com/ypohIAHvQy — FIA World Rallycross (@FIAWorldRX) April 26, 2017 PSRX Volkswagen Sweden, racing in the European FIA World Rallycross Championship, this year decided to run their radiator where you might expect to find it in any other Polo: up front. The team has been extremely secretive about this, but rallycross commentator Andrew Cole went to the VW garage, such as it is, to speak to the team’s project manager, Fabrice van Ertvelde to find out why they decided to ignore 40 years of rallycross dogma. Turns out Volkswagen’s reason for doing it was really simple. It just simplified the set up. It work...

Rallycross is back in America, and the Beetle boys—Tanner Foust and Scott Speed—won’t have to travel far from VW’s Tennessee home to start the season. The Red Bull Global Rallycross series will be down the street from Chattanooga in Memphis on April 30 for the first round of the 2017 season. Foust will be looking to get his season off to a perfect start as he seeks to take the drivers’ championship away from his teammate, Speed, who will defend his title jealously. “I’m more confident than I was at this point last year, so I’m excited to get back on track and show what we can do,” said Speed. “I think the package that we’ve developed in the offseason is really strong and I’m eager to get used to some of the new race formats the series has implemented for the season.” The team will be back in their European-built Beetles GRC this season, but with some changes. Both drivers get a new livery this season, but Speed gets a new sponsor, Oberto Jerky. The changes are more than skin-deep...

Volkswagen and Audi are quietly looking to see if there’s any interest in buying their motorcycle brand, Ducati, according to a report from Reuters . The Volkswagen Group is reportedly trying to streamline operations, divesting itself of any non-essential assets and, by doing so, trying to also cut costs. Unnamed sources told Reuters that VW has tasked investment bank Evercore with looking at ways to pare down its offerings, and that includes the sale of Ducati, which Audi bought in 2012 for about $935 million. The good news for VW is that Ducati could be worth up to $1.6 billion, though a banker with knowledge of the industry told Reuters that potential buyers will likely look to pay only about $1.1 billion. Huh. Huge multi-national corporations: they really are just like us. Volkswagen likely isn’t desperate to sell the brand, since Ducati still earns about $109 million a year. Interest in electrification and a hefty dieselgate bill do mean that VW is looking simplify its books, ...

Way back in March Volkswagen released a teaser for the updated Golf R with performance options and then quickly took it down. Now, though, it’s back with just as much performance-y goodness. The new teaser subtly different than the last one, but mostly promises the same goodies for the Golf R with performance options. With a 0-62 mph time of 4.6 seconds thanks to launch control, a top speed of 166 mph, and new drive modes that are accessible through a new, bigger infotainment screen and digital cockpit the performance options are making a strong case for themselves in the Mk7.5 (MkVIIS?) Golf R. You don’t just get more go, though, you get more Gs, too. Face pulling G-forces should be easily attainable thanks to 17-inch brakes. Neck straining Gs, meanwhile, should be achieved thanks to improved downforce created by a spoiler and diffuser round the back. A version of the car spotted at the Geneva Motor Show, meanwhile, was wearing Pirelli Trofeo R tires should only make it easie...

[ See image gallery at www.vwvortex.com ] Ahhhh, the Volkswagen R32. In 2003 the engineers at VW blessed the European buying public with a model stuffed full of all their latest goodies. It was as if an enthusiast’s fairy godmother waved her magic wand and all their automotive dreams came true: a torquey 3.2 liter VR6 engine, Haldex AWD, independent rear suspension, upgraded brakes with blue calipers, 18 inch wheels, Konig sport seats, a subtle yet aggressive body kit, and a six-speed manual transmission or the all-new dual clutch DSG transmission. Add to that the luxurious interior, exceptional fit and finish, and dynamic styling of the MKIV models, and fans the world over rejoiced. Volkswagen added the MKIV R32 to the U.S. lineup in 2004. For years fans had been clamoring for a performance model to take on Subaru’s WRX and Mitsubishi’s EVO. With the powerful engine and all-wheel drive, they thought they finally had the car that bested the others. Many automotive magazines and websi...

Filed under: Green , Chevrolet , Ford , Lexus , Tesla , Volkswagen , Alternative Fuels , Green Culture , Green Driving , Electric , Hybrid AAA poll indicates 30 million Americans may buy an electric vehicle within three to five years. Continue reading 1 in 7 Americans say they might buy an EV next, as sales of electrics build 1 in 7 Americans say they might buy an EV next, as sales of electrics build originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 26 Apr 2017 09:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments from Autoblog Volkswagen http://ift.tt/2oLU0Mk

Much hubbub has been made about the Dodge Demon and how hecking fast it is. Today, in fact, a journalist went full Nader and basically called it unsafe at any speed  (though mostly at those that are high). So avoid all the controversy and buy yourself a Golf, instead. May we suggest this fine example from over in ye olde Englande, which is the fastest FWD Golf in the UK with a quarter mile time of 9.78 seconds, according to the fine filmographers at VeeDubRacing. Admittedly, this Mk1 Golf isn’t exactly stock, but like the Demon, it wears ridiculously wide tires up front. Mind you, I’d be surprised if these were street legal. The Golf makes 630 bhp and is owned and driven by Rob Lord. Although this is the fastest FWD Golf in the UK, it isn’t the fastest one in Europe, with at least one Golf from Adrenaline Tuning hitting mid-to-low 8s. The post Watch: This FWD Golf is Very Nearly as Fast as a Demon appeared first on VWVortex . from VWVortex http://ift.tt/2oHlNga via I...

For the most part, crash avoidance and driver assistance technology is a welcome addition to the automotive landscape. While they can be a little invasive sometimes, they’re usually doing what they’re supposed to and helping to save the lives of drivers who may have had a momentary lapse in judgment or focus. However, there is a lot of worry over how lane assistance or emergency braking software will behave when you bring a streetcar to the track. Several chapters of the BMW Car Club of America and the Porsche Club of America have already decided to forbid any vehicle equipped with aids. The fear is that track day organizers or instructors could be found liable if a car suddenly jerks right when it approaches the apex of a corner or suddenly decelerate when in close proximity to other vehicles. A driver might be caught off-guard if a car unexpectedly takes over and be unsure how to mitigate inputs they were unprepared for. The bottom line is that newer cars ar...

[ See image gallery at www.vwvortex.com ] Max Edwards has built a rather special Beetle, taking inspiration from the land of motorsport, while somehow keeping it true to its classic Beetle heritage. These are two very different styles, but they compliment each other very well! The idea first came to Max in February of 2011, and it had him searching high and low for an early-model Beetle. Eventually, Max stumbled upon an original 1978 model that was in need of some TLC. After enjoying the car in its stock form for several years, Max knew it was time for his Beetle to reach its final form – a form that would include a complete body-off restoration. The suspension and chassis were the first elements to be overhauled, adding a 2” narrow beam to get that perfect Beetle tuck. To achieve the #LifeOnAir look and performance, he upgraded the suspension to Air Lift Performance through rods, long travel ball joints, track rod flip and raised and strengthened shock towe...

Underground Racing is widely known for taking already ferocious Lamborghinis (among other things) and turning them up to 11. Case in point, this twin turbocharged, 2,200 hp Lamborghini Huracan that just hit 217 mph in a rolling drag race. As Carscoops points out , 217 mph is the same speed a Lamborghini Aventador tops out at, and according to the driver of this Huracan, the car’s wheels were slipping when it hit 211 mph, so the extra horsepower is as noticeable as having an actual horse in the passenger seat. If you’re a Huracan owner who’s suddenly feeling envy’s sting, Underground Racing will happily provide you with the balm. For only $49,000 you can get your exotic up to 800 bhp, but it’ll cost you $150,000 to get your Huracan up to 2,000 hp. Now that may sound like a lot, especially when you factor in the price of the Huracan, but remember, a Bugatti Chiron only makes 1,500 hp and that thing costs $2.5 million. And it’s not like you’ll be laughed off Amelia Island in your Lamb...

With the continued goal of bringing the finest products + performance to their customers, AWE Tuning announced that USP Motorsports has become an AWE Tuning Level 3 Premium Stocking Dealer and Distributor. “USP and AWE have a long history together. This most recent evolution of the relationship to Premium Dealer status is a good thing. The target markets overlap perfectly and we’re thrilled with the USP team and their focus on only carrying parts they believe in and use themselves,” stated AWE Tuning’s VP of Marketing, Jesse Kramer. USP Motorsports began their delivery of recipes for performance in 2000 as a repair facility specializing in Volkswagen and Audi vehicle while pursuing their name in motorsports. Entering  2006, USP decided to offer their recipes of performance to customers outside of Florida. Over a decade later, USP Motorsports has become a go-to performance provider for Audi, Volkswagen, and Porsche vehicles in Southern Florida. With over 50 years of combined auto...

Johan Kristoffersson and Petter Solberg had a disappointing end to their weekend in Portugal, finishing third and sixth respectively. Although the two Volkswagen drivers scored enough points to get keep them in second and third in the drivers’ standings, they had doubtless hoped for more having jumped out to an early lead on the first lap of the weekend’s final race. Solberg had a better start than his teammate, and led the race from the first corner, but couldn’t keep up with the pace of defending world champion, Mattias Ekstrom. The Swede took his joker lap right out of the gate and was able to spend the subsequent five laps catching the leaders. By the time he took his joker lap, Kristoffersson had been held up by Solberg so much that he came back out in third. A mistake on Ekstrom’s part meant that Kristoffersson could catch up with the leaders, but could not pass them as Ekstrom finished first, followed by Sebastien Loeb. Kristoffersson stays in second place in the driv...

These past few weeks have been good for intergenerational dialogue, as we’ve finally found the only two topics on which millennials and old older generations can agree:  the Juicero is a comically bad idea and electric vehicles aren’t all that appealing. Seventy percent of millennials say that they do not want to buy an electric car over a traditional car, according to a survey of 157,000 respondents taken by driving-tests.org. “We used the word ‘striking,’” Andrei Zakhareuski, CEO of driving-test.org, told Forbes . “It was also striking for its uniformity across all age groups. Any thoughts that millennials would be more favorably disposed toward electric cars than seniors were not supported by the evidence.” The website provides free practice tests for people looking to get their license. As a result, it appeals disproportionally to younger people. Even among 13-19-year-olds, though, roughly 70 percent of respondents said that they did not want to buy an electric car. ...

April has brought good news to diesel lovers and haters on both sides of the border. After spending the winter (and the better part of last fall) jealously eyeing their southern neighbor’s buyback and compensation program, Canadian owners can now apply for that longed-for envelope of Volkswagen cash, as well as a one-way ticket to hell for their emissions-rigged TDI model. On Friday, the automaker settled court cases in Ontario and Quebec, paving the way for a 2.0-liter diesel settlement program that starts next week. The models involved are the same as in the U.S. — 105,000 units in all — and owners and lessees face similar choices as their American counterparts. Unlike the recent  shadowy roll-out of half-fixed 2015 models in the U.S., several Canadian dealers are proudly advertising the availability of “new” TDIs. It’s not surprising that Canadians bought more TDIs on a per capita basis than the U.S. Gasoline taxes are higher in Canada (and only going up), and Can...

Filed under: Green , Auto Shanghai , Volkswagen , Transportation Alternatives , Autonomous At Auto Shanghai 2017, VW showed off a real version of its autonomous concept vehicle. Continue reading Volkswagen shows off its vision for a driverless future Volkswagen shows off its vision for a driverless future originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 22 Apr 2017 09:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments from Autoblog Volkswagen http://ift.tt/2q1Wiam

Prepare to get your dander up, as Carfection’s Alex Goy tests the new GTI Performance that’s complete with all kinds of Euro-only goodies. The two-door (which we don’t get here) Mk7.5 (which we don’t quite have yet) Golf GTI (which we do get!) Performance (which we don’t get here anymore), according to Goy, “is good.” That may not sound like deafening praise, but he is comparing it to the regular GTI, which is already great. So the main question is why buy the Performance instead? Goy argues that the Performance isn’t necessary, so to buy it, you have to want it. But with bigger brakes, more power, and everything else that makes the GTI a great car, there’s no reason not to buy the Performance apart from saving a few bucks or an accident of geography. “It’s a bit more go in a friendly good to drive package,” says Goy. The post Watch: Carfection Tests the New Euro GTI Performance appeared first on VWVortex . from VWVortex http://ift.tt/2pMxdkq via IFTTT

Filed under: Government/Legal , Green , Volkswagen It's part of a $4.3 billion settlement announced in January. Continue reading US Judge sentences VW to 3 years probation and oversight as part of Dieselgate settlement US Judge sentences VW to 3 years probation and oversight as part of Dieselgate settlement originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 21 Apr 2017 14:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments from Autoblog Volkswagen http://ift.tt/2ocWRC7

Volkswagen was sentenced today in its much publicized dieselgate criminal case. US District Judge Sean Cox formally approved the Department of Justice and VW’s $4.3 billion agreement as well as a $2.8 billion criminal fine. Volkswagen “deeply regrets the behavior that gave rise to this case. Plain and simple, it was wrong,” said Manfred Doess, VW’s general counsel speaking the automaker’s behalf. As well as formalizing VW’s punishment for its dieselgate scandal, the court also officially appointed former Deputy US Attorney General Larry Thompson as the company’s new independent monitor. That appointment comes as part of VW’s three years of “organization probation.” Thompson has reportedly already assembled a team of experts for the job. “This is a very serious and very troubling case involving an iconic automobile company,” said Judge Cox, according to Reuter. “I just can’t believe VW is in the situation it finds itself in today.” Volkswagen’s compliance with the US government and...

Volkswagen has debuted its first premium plug-in hybrid sedan produced in China at Auto Shanghai this week. The Phideon PHEV is set to hit the roads with 245 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque, thanks to a 2.0-liter TFSI engine mated to an electric motor good for 50 km (31 miles) combustion-free driving. The new Phideon also has some GTE LED daytime running lights and a GTE badge on the grille. Inside, meanwhile, it has wireless phone charging and ventilated seats that can massage you as barrel down the road. Volkswagen’s tactic here is similar to Audi’s which is introducing the A6L plug-in hybrid, and 4 more plug-in hybrids by 2021 to the EV hungry Chinese market. Watch the full reveal below. The post 250 HP Phideon PHEV Debuts in China appeared first on VWVortex . from VWVortex http://ift.tt/2pm4hmK via IFTTT

Filed under: Recalls , Volkswagen , UK Reported problems range from EGR trouble to DPF failure. Continue reading VW customers in UK claim Dieselgate fix causes other problems VW customers in UK claim Dieselgate fix causes other problems originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 21 Apr 2017 11:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments from Autoblog Volkswagen http://ift.tt/2p3tQYF

A new book about the dieselgate scandal is set to hit stores in May and it reportedly contains the identity of the whistleblower who alerted authorities to Volkswagen’s emissions manipulations. Faster, Higher, Farther: the Volkswagen Scandal , written by New York Times journalist Jack Ewing, identifies Stuart Johnson as the whistleblower who brought VW’s defeat device to the attention of regulators. Johnson was the head of VW’s Engineering and Environmental Office in Auburn Hills, Michigan, the post formerly held by Oliver Schmidt, who is currently facing 11 felony charges. Speaking to Automotive News, the book’s author said that he had the impression that Johnson had long felt uneasy about the emissions manipulation. In his book, meanwhile, Ewing writes that Johnson was violating orders from his superiors by telling the California Air Resources Board about the device in August 2015. That there was an internal whistleblower has long been known, but in the indictment and in other off...

Filed under: Etc. , Volkswagen , Sedan Hoping to lure outdoorsy, athletic types to the Jetta and Golf, Volkswagen partnered with the Trek bicycle company and sold Trek Edition cars with matching mountain bikes. Continue reading Junkyard Gem: 1996 Volkswagen Jetta Trek Edition Junkyard Gem: 1996 Volkswagen Jetta Trek Edition originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 21 Apr 2017 09:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments from Autoblog Volkswagen http://ift.tt/2pL2CEc

There’s simply no stopping the high-performing Fast and Furious franchise. What started off as the butt of automotive jokes has become a worldwide phenomenon, with the eighth installment,  The Fate of the Furious , coming out of the gate with an estimated $532.5-million worldwide opening weekend. Not only does that set a record, but that beats  Star Wars: The Force Awaken s ‘ opening weekend tally of $529-million. Some would argue it’s an unfair comparison, however, since  The Fate of the Furious got to enjoy the Chinese market its opening weekend, while  Star Wars: The Force Awakens chose to open in China later than the rest of the world. The eighth installment of the franchise saw a huge boost in 63 international markets, taking in $432.3-million. In the U.S., however, it actually saw a decline compared to  Furious 7 , which grossed $147.2-million.  The Fate of the Furious  earned $100.2-million in its opening weekend in North America. It...

Volkswagen’s new watchdog is set to be announced and, according to Reuter , it will be lawyer Larry Thompson. Thompson is a lawyer at Finch McCranie LLP and served as US deputy attorney general from 2001 to 2003. Volkswagen agreed to have an independent monitor watch over its post-dieselgate business as part of its plea agreement. The monitor will watch over VW operations for three years. The monitor will be there to ensure that VW makes appropriate reforms in its culture so that another so that cheating on emissions results, or indeed any kind of cheating, does not happen again. [source: Reuters ] The post Bush Era Deputy Attorney General to be Named VW Monitor: Report appeared first on VWVortex . from VWVortex http://ift.tt/2p0h3X5 via IFTTT

[ See image gallery at www.vwvortex.com ] Traveling to far off locations may sound like a delight, but really it’s mostly a drag. People who are in a foreign nation are almost invariably kind of lost, very tired, and probably sore. Thankfully Skoda has a solution. Instead making you travel to Shanghai to see its new Vision E electric concept, it’s presenting it with a free VR app. That’s right, you too can live the dream of the electric future, with the help of virtual reality. By simply downloading Skoda VR through the Google Play Store or the iTunes store , you can get a pretty good idea of what Skoda’s first ever all electric concept car will look like in three dimensions. The Vision E is based on VW’s MEB platform, so much like the I.D. family of cars, this crossover will have much more interior space than a standard car as well as a very low center of gravity. Also like the I.D. family, Skoda projects that the Vision E will have a range of 500 km (or about 310 miles accord...

Slalom handling and ride quality aren’t attributes that usually affect the results in a green car awards competition. But these two qualities helped to distinguish the 2017 e-Golf from 21 other competitors to be named the Top Green Vehicle in the 2017 AAA Green Car Guide. The e-Golf scored highest among its competitors based on a total point score in 13 different attributes including those mentioned above, as well as visibility, EPA emissions, and interior noise. “We are very happy that the e-Golf SE has been selected as the Top Green Vehicle in such a competitive segment,” said Hendrik Muth, Senior Vice President, Product Marketing & Strategy, Volkswagen of America, Inc. “The e-Golf embodies all of the great things inherently Volkswagen in an all-electric package.” “The Volkswagen e-Golf SE is proof that affordable battery-electric efficiency and sporty driving don’t have to be mutually exclusive,” said Megan McKernan, manager of the Automobile Club of Southern California’s Auto...

Winter has now loosened its chilly grip and spring has sprung, but if you live in the mountains you can still have some fun in the snow. Anyone who’s into skiing/snowboarding knows the joys of spring skiing, and apparently so does Lamborghini. Lamborghini here pits its 730 hp Aventador S against an aerobatics plane high in the mountains. Far from being just the remit of Persian princes and advertisers, though, anyone can join in the winter merriment thanks to Lamborghini Winter Accademia . Although this winter’s program is now over, the Italian automaker offers owners and fans alike the opportunity to drive a raging bull through the snow. Prices are still bpretty lofty at €5,900, though, so it’s not like any riff raff can get in. The post Watch: A Lamborghini Plays with a Plane on a Snowy Mountain appeared first on VWVortex . from VWVortex http://ift.tt/2oWkUUU via IFTTT

With Volkswagen’s 2015 TDI vehicles okayed for sale in America again, there was immediate speculation about what kind of incentives the automaker would offer to move the dieselgate cars. We now have an answer to the tune of up to $8,500 for well qualified lessees. Those same lessees are also eligible for 24-month money factors that amount to 0% financing, according to carsdirect.com . Buyers, meanwhile, are eligible for 0% APR for 72 months and a $5,000 finance bonus. There are, however, currently no standard cash incentives without financing. Those looking for an Audi A3 TDI might be disappointed, since there’s currently no cash bonus. That said, Audi is offering 1.9% APR for 66 months. According to Cars Direct, though, these are deals from VW, not dealers. Some dealers are anticipating that a pent up demand for TDIs will allow them to sell these cars for near MSRP. Since there are still only a very limited number of TDIs available, demand may outstrip supply. As a result, VW isn...

The eighth installment in the  Fast and Furious (F&F)  series of movies hit theatres this past weekend, and if you were confused after watching it, let one of the franchise’s stars explain it to you.  Chris Bridges, better known as rapper Ludacris, got in front of a camera at  Vanity Fair  to explain every single  F&F  movie, going over both the plot and the characters involved. As the series has evolved, plenty of new characters have been introduced over the years while allegiances have changed, so an explainer is welcome. Of course, the biggest casting change is the loss of actor Paul Walker, who played Brian O’Conner in the movies, after he passed away in a car accident back in 2013. Two more  F&F  movie will be released, completing a final trilogy of movies that began with the recently released  Fate of the Furious.  The final two movies will be released on April 19, 2019 and April 2, 2021. This postfirst appear...

[ See image gallery at www.vwvortex.com ] Car makers aren’t ones to take risks. They employee teams of marketing muckety mucks whose sole purpose is to ensure the vehicles they make will be what buyers want to spend their money on. From time to time a passionate leader is able to push something special through the product pipeline. Something that they love and they want others to love, too. And that brand new shiny product risk can fly off the shelves if people love ’em. Or they can just sit there collecting dust. Unfortunately, the Golf Harlequin Edition was the second kind of risk. The history behind this model didn’t start as a failure. Back in 1995 VW created a series of Harlequin Polos for Europe. The patchwork body panels in bright colors made the little car a hit. They were so popular that Volkswagen increased the initial run from 1,000 to over 3,800 little hatchbacks. With that success, a Golf Harlequin had to be a sure thing, right? Not so much. In 1996 Volkswagen produced...

It is an inarguable fact of automotive life that Volkswagen can build a hell of a hot hatch. Be it a GTI or an R, the Golf is the standard against which all other hot hatches are measured and even an additional £20,000 can’t get you something better, according to this latest video from the guys over at Autocar. At 310 hp, the Golf R isn’t necessarily the most powerful car in its bracket, nor is it the most luxurious, nor the cheapest, nor the ‘estest. But in reality, unlike in internet arguments, ‘ests aren’t best. Whereas the Mercedes-AMG A45 (the A is for abomination) is one of the fastest accelerating hot hatches that money can buy, and in drag races, it puts its power down beating the Golf R handily. For that performance, though, you’re giving up any chance at appearing reasonable or indeed dignified. The Golf R, meanwhile, drives quickly, sounds good, looks great, and can just be a regular car when it needs to be. The lesson here being that a good car is more than the sum of ...

Although it has yet to publish detailed first quarter results, the Volkswagen Group has announced that its profits are up significantly higher than it projected. The high profits, it says, are thanks to the VW brand’s strong numbers. The VW brand is the biggest in the group, so the financial performances of the two closely linked. As a result, the Brand’s struggles in recovering from the dieselgate scandal have been felt acutely by the Group. This strong performance, then, is an indication that things are headed in the right direction. The VW brand has achieved operating earnings of around €900 million, which is up significantly from last year’s first quarter, when the company only made €73 million. As a result of the increase, the Group’s operating result is up to 4.4 billion euros so far this year. According to VW, the new Tiguan, along with other new models, are to thank for the improvement. The western European market also performed well this quarter, which helps. The post VW ...